CBI quizzes Karti Chidamabaram for 8 hours in graft case

New Delhi: Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidamabaram, on Wednesday appeared before the CBI for questioning in connection with investigation into the alleged manipulation of a tax probe against INX Media. Karti Chidambaram was directed by the Supreme Court to appear for questioning before the CBI.

CBI officials were tight-lipped about the questioning. Sources, however, said he was questioned for nearly eight hours and is due to appear before the agency for questioning again, on August 28.

It is learnt that the agency sleuths posed over 100 questions to Karti during his questioning. “Over 100 questions on various aspects pertaining to the case were drafted by the investigators which were put to 45-year-old Karti,” a source said. The agency wanted to examine him in connection with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to media group INX Media for allegedly receiving funds from Mauritius when his father was the Union finance minister, they added.

There are allegations that a firm “indirectly controlled” by him received money from INX Media, run by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea. The CBI had issued a notice to Karti to appear for questioning in June but he had sought more time. Later, a look out circular was issued against him to prevent him from leaving the country, sources said.

Karti had then approached the Madras high court, which stayed the circular. The Supreme Court later put on hold the high court order. During a hearing before the apex court, Karti told the court he was willing to appear before the CBI. The court then directed him to appear before the agency on August 23. A bench comprising Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud allowed Karti to be accompanied by a lawyer at the CBI headquarters during the questioning.

The CBI had registered the case on May 15 against Karti, his company Chess Management Services, INX Media, Advantage Strategic Consulting Services, its director Padma Vishwanathan and the Mukerjeas.

The Mukerjeas, also charged with killing Indrani’s daughter, Sheena Bora, are currently in jail.

P. Chidambaram had issued a strong statement in response to the FIR, saying the government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. The FIPB approval was granted in “hundreds of cases”, the senior Congress leader had said.

The Congress on Wednesday termed CBI questioning Karti and probe into a “land scam” allegedly involving a company of Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of party president Sonia Gandhi, as “pure political vendetta”.

“This is nothing but political vendetta of the worst kind… that has sunk to a new low,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here.

Mr Tewari, without naming the government or the ruling BJP, said political rivals were being targeted, which was “fair game going by political standards”. But now they have dragged families into it, he said. “They have taken it to a new low”, Mr Tewari added.